Play cup to queen cell.

[BugsInABox]

I have 2 questions hoping to calm some nerves after I dis my first split 10 days ago.
Can anyone tell me if cups only develop into the peanut size once they have a larva in them or can you get full size play cells?
Also are eggs moves into the cups by workers or must they be filled directly by the queen. I'm asking because I can see a full size cell through an observation window and hope it's a good sign?

Thanks in advance

Neil

 

[Erichalfbee]

Queen cells are developed from play cups.
The queen lays in them.
If you see an egg in a play cup it’s not always the bees’ intention to bring it on but if you see royal jelly and a larva in there it is a queen cell.
Whether workers move eggs us a matter of debate but most opinion is that they don’t.

 

[BugsInABox]

Thanks Dani, do play cups tend to get built out to the full peanut size of they are empty?
Cheers
Neil

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks Dani, do play cups tend to get built out to the full peanut size of they are empty?
Cheers
Neil

No

 

[drdrday]

This is something I've been interested in myself (only my 2nd season).
My bees love making cups, usually about 10-12 over the double brood boxes. Last season I saw eggs in a couple of cups. I kept a very close eye on them, checking back within 4 days in case they developed into queen cells, but they remained as cups, and sometimes had just an egg in them again.

This season I'm expecting my bees to start swarm preps (I'm hoping to catch them in time and do an artificial swarm and increase). There were about a dozen cups at the weekend, and 4 of them contained eggs (no royal jelly or larvae).

I know I need to react quickly to do an artificial swarm (before they swarm themselves), however, having seen eggs in cups before that don't go on to be developed, I'm reluctant to do anything until I'm sure they're actually serious about it. All of the books and everything online says that an empty cup is just a play cup, but a cup with an egg or larvae in it is a queen cell. My bees still seem to think that a cup with an egg in it could just still be a play cup.

I feel as though I want to wait until there is a larvae or jelly in a cup before I react. How daft is this strategy?

 

[drex]

Eminently sensible to me

 

[Erichalfbee]

Play cup empty no action inspect in a week as planned.
Play cup with an egg check three days
Play cup with royal jelly and a larva then AS of some sort

 

[Swarm]

This is something I've been interested in myself (only my 2nd season).
My bees love making cups, usually about 10-12 over the double brood boxes. Last season I saw eggs in a couple of cups. I kept a very close eye on them, checking back within 4 days in case they developed into queen cells, but they remained as cups, and sometimes had just an egg in them again.

This season I'm expecting my bees to start swarm preps (I'm hoping to catch them in time and do an artificial swarm and increase). There were about a dozen cups at the weekend, and 4 of them contained eggs (no royal jelly or larvae).

I know I need to react quickly to do an artificial swarm (before they swarm themselves), however, having seen eggs in cups before that don't go on to be developed, I'm reluctant to do anything until I'm sure they're actually serious about it. All of the books and everything online says that an empty cup is just a play cup, but a cup with an egg or larvae in it is a queen cell. My bees still seem to think that a cup with an egg in it could just still be a play cup.

I feel as though I want to wait until there is a larvae or jelly in a cup before I react. How daft is this strategy?

They are all just cups until they are charged, only when charged with royal jelly are they queen cells.

 

[Poly Hive]

They do not build out empty queen cells.

Difference between play cup and charged cell is three days, the time the egg takes to hatch. Then you NEED to artificially swarm the colony in one way or another. Pay no attention to them what say you can knock down the cells as eventually they will swarm off an egg. It just don't work knocking them down.

PH

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Whether workers move eggs us a matter of debate but most opinion is that they don’t.

Oh! yes they do!

 

[drex]

Oh! No they don't!

 

[Codford]

Oh! No they don't!

“Behind you!”...

 

[drdrday]

Thanks all for the advice. Sounds like I'm on the right lines. Just have to be sure to re-check a cup with an egg within 3-4 days.